Scurry to the Sea

I ran my first in-person race since March 2020, an 11.5 mile run from the Pentlands to Musselburgh.

No medal but a t-shirt.

Why Scurry to the Sea

I heard of this race last year after a co-worker did it. It seemed like a cool run. You start with a climb up Allermuir Hill in the Pentlands and then it's (mainly) downhill all the way to Musselburgh beach. 

It's also a small race (there were 173 runners), so in the middle of a pandemic when I'm not traveling, it seemed like an opportunity to run an actual race that wouldn't get canceled. 

I told a coworker about it, who ended up signing up. But then he couldn't do it, so he transferred his entry to me. (Thanks, Andy!)

I told another coworker, Billy, about it two weeks before the race, and he signed up as well, so I had a racing buddy.

#SpeedyBilly slowed it down to be my racing buddy.

Reacquainting myself with the pre-race experience

As my first in-person race in 16 months, I was reacquainted with some familiar pre-race experiences:

• when you're first getting to the race and start to see other runners heading in the same direction so you know you're in the right place
• the delight that is the pre-race toilet queue (amazingly, the women's queue was quicker than the men's)
• music playing, announcements being made, runners converging into a great big mob before the start, making small talk with runners around you

It honestly felt like my soul was restored. I've really missed racing.

Got a view of the dry ski slope from outside the toilet queue.

Runners getting ready to race.

We also bumped into a fellow Edinburgh Uni colleague, Emma, while we were there. She's someone who joined during the pandemic, so this was our first experience actually meeting in person.

Team UoE at Scurry to the Sea.

The climbing start

The race started with a mile climb up Allermuir Hill. The starting place was very narrow, so let's just say it wasn't the best start line for social distancing.

I did start off running the hill, but eventually stopped. No one was running it (well, except those super keen athletes at the front). They call it a lung buster, and it really was. 

But it was also spectacularly beautiful. Sun and blue skies all the way through.

We got the best views of Edinburgh.

Queensferry Crossing in the distance.

Holyrood Park from the Pentlands.

And we passed some Highland coos along the way.

Spectators at the race.

There were a few checkpoints you had to meet, but otherwise you ran whatever route you wanted. The 1st checkpoint was at the top of the hill.

Me walking to the 1st checkpoint/getting ready to take photos.

We made it to the top!

The run down was worse than the climb up. It was a steep descent, which meant a rather slow and careful run down to avoid falling.

Billy starting the descent.

Downhill to the beach

For the most part, the rest of the race was downhill to Musselburgh. We first went through Swanston and then cut over to the Cockmylane path.

That took us through Braidburn Valley Park before we cut over to our 2nd checkpoint at the start of the Hermitage.

We then headed through Inch Park and the edge of Craigmillar Castle Park before the final checkpoint near Peffermill. 

Even though this wasn't a race on closed-routes with spectators, we still did pass pedestrians who clapped at us and cheered us on. That felt great.

We even passed a sign that gave us a round of applause.

Edinburgh Uni employees passing an Edinburgh Napier sign that says 'round of applause'.

Before the 3rd checkpoint, we could see back to the Pentlands where we started the race.

Seeing the Pentlands in the distance.

The rest of the race followed cycle paths all the way to Musselburgh. Toward the end, we passed a few fellow racers who we started chatting to. I already had a racing buddy, and this still became an even more sociable race!

The place names I mention above are also all places I've run, walked, or cycled through before. But it being familiar didn't cut down any enjoyment of racing through it.

If anything, it made it more fun getting to run through familiar terrain in a competitive atmosphere.

A finish on the sand

They don't call it scurry to the sea for nothing. You literally finish running across Musselburgh Beach.

My final official time was 2:14:58. For an 11.5 mile race, while in the middle of marathon training, which started up a very big hill, I am most pleased with that.

I was 140th out of the 173 runners. Not last place, hell yeah!

I know I ran as well as I did because I ran with Billy. Although he hadn't done a long distance run in a while, he is very capable of running a lot faster than me. But he was truly a racing buddy, either keeping pace with me or stopping for a bit to wait for me to catch up. He was a good motivator. 

Accomplished runners taking a victory selfie.

After a short rest, we walked out to the water to dip our toes in.

We scurried to this sea!

This might be the most adorable photo ever.

Post-race treats

As we were in Musselburgh, it was only fitting that we treated ourselves to ice cream at S Luca.

11.5 miles called for two scoops (toffee fudgy wudgy and nutella) and hot fudge sauce.

Hot fudge sauce on a hot day.

We got a taxi back to the start where we had some hot drinks and a good chat before wrapping up the race day experience. 

It was an absolutely brilliant day. Great weather, great company, great running.

Like I said, my soul feels restored. A racing Lauren is a happy Lauren.

Next race

Great North Run

I actually have a next race scheduled! Who actually knows if it will go ahead, but fingers crossed.